


Questions and more

by Laramie



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-16 21:12:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7284976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laramie/pseuds/Laramie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jimmy starts asking inappropriate questions, and information isn't all he asks for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> With thanks to my friend and beta BlueTilo.

"Do you ever think about me when you touch yourself?"

Thomas's attention snapped to Jimmy in astonishment, his stomach flipping over as a couple of his more common fantasies flitted through his mind. Did he ever… If Thomas had had a shilling for every imagined tryst with Jimmy Kent, he would be a rich man indeed. He stared at the real Jimmy, sitting to his left on Thomas's own bed. There were spots of pink high up on Jimmy's cheeks.

"Why do you want to know?"

"We're pals, aren't we?" Jimmy said, his eyebrows lifting. "I'm interested to know things about you."

_Not like this_ , Thomas thought. Pals might talk about which women they thought were attractive but they didn't talk about how much one of them loved and lusted after the other.

But then, Thomas hadn't much practice with having male friends. And Jimmy must _know_ , deep down, what the answer was.

"I… have done," Thomas confessed slowly.

"A lot?" Jimmy asked at once. In the light of the lamp on Thomas's bedside table, Jimmy's eyes seemed to be gleaming.

Thomas broke eye contact and began fidgeting with his glove. "Pretty much every time," he muttered.

There were a few seconds of silence while Thomas desperately racked his brain for something to change the subject. But he was too slow.

"What do you think about?"

Amid the crippling embarrassment, Thomas managed to find a shred of indignation to inject into the look he shot at Jimmy. "That's _private_."

"Not if it's about me," Jimmy argued.

He made it sound almost… reasonable.

Without turning his head, Thomas looked at Jimmy's legs stretched out next to his own - it still amazed Thomas that Jimmy now felt comfortable enough to sit like this, with him, on his bed.

Often, when they sat side-by-side, Thomas thought about lifting up his hand and placing it not far above Jimmy's knee, then sliding it upwards, over Jimmy's solid, warm thigh, until his palm was resting over Jimmy's crotch.

He didn't tend to let the fantasy progress until he was alone, to avoid getting an awkward erection. However, it was an image he often returned to in the evenings, when everyone was safely tucked away in their bedrooms, and Thomas's dreams ruled the dark hours until morning.

"Tell me," Jimmy insisted urgently. "Tell me what you're thinkin' about _right now_ , even."

Thomas looked at Jimmy carefully: his cheeks were darker now, his eyes wide. Thomas decided that, just for the moment, he would abandon all sense of pride and self-preservation, and take a chance.

"Right now, I'm thinkin' about puttin' my hand on your thigh."

"And then?"

Was it Thomas's imagination, or were Jimmy's pupils dilated? His eyes certainly still had that strange glint in them.

"And then… I move it higher, feelin' your muscles under my hand until… until… you know…" He trailed off, feeling abashed. His cock was starting to take an interest in the conversation, or, more likely, the images quivering in Thomas's mind, which often signalled the beginning of one of Thomas's imagined encounters.

"Right…" Jimmy said slowly, his eyes flicking between Thomas's face, his hand, and his own thigh.

Thomas searched his face for any sign of discomfort, and found none. He was dying to repeat some of Jimmy's questions back to him, but couldn't face the disappointment that would undoubtedly come with the answers.

"Show me," Jimmy said quietly. His pink tongue poked out to lick his lips, and then he sank his teeth into the bottom one, looking back at Thomas with something like anxiety.

Thomas stared at him, wondering if he had gone deaf, or perhaps fallen asleep through some vital part of the conversation and Jimmy was in fact talking about something completely innocent and innocuous. There were goosebumps on his arms. "You… You want me to…?" The hand nearest Jimmy - the one with the glove - drifted vaguely in the direction of Jimmy's thigh and hovered there.

"No - I -" Jimmy stammered, and Thomas snatched his wandering hand back at once. "What I meant was -" Jimmy was blinking more quickly than usual, his eyes fixed intently on Thomas's face. "You touch yourself, and tell me what you're thinkin' about."

Thomas hardly dared to breathe. His first instinct was to ask 'why' again, but he sensed that that would be a bad move. He felt half-drunk, awash with arousal. Everything around him looked a little strange, unreal around the edges, as though he had slipped into a parallel universe. "So I just…" He pressed the heel of his hand against his cock and Jimmy leaned closer, his eyes on Thomas's lap, his reddened lips slightly parted.

"Yeah," Jimmy said roughly. "An' tell me what you like thinkin' about."

Cautiously, Thomas began to rub himself through his trousers with his right hand, alert to any sign that he had somehow got things horribly wrong.

Jimmy tore his gaze away from the motion to give Thomas an expectant look.

"So… s-sometimes I imagine… puttin' my hand on your thigh," Thomas said again, trembling as his arousal heightened. "And then up, to touch - to touch you - between your legs," he went on, still feeling shy enough to avoid explicit words. "Rubbin' you… through your trousers at first, like I'm doin' to myself." Thomas let himself imagine it, a shiver running down his spine at the image. "And I - I'd want to you be naked - and you'd be so eager for me you'd unfasten your own trousers." Already, he could feel coherency slipping away from him, disrupted by fragments of perfect fantasy.

"D'you undo your own trousers for this, too?" Jimmy asked in a low voice.

"Ha, of… of course." Before he knew it, Thomas had indeed unfastened his own trousers, wriggling to get them and his underpants far enough down to be out of the way. This was not how he had expected his evening to go. Had Jimmy even seen another man's cock before - particularly a man who was _aroused_? He kept his eyes averted from Jimmy's face, not ready to see whatever might be written there, trusting that Jimmy would call a halt if he needed to.

Despite his flutterings of anxiety, at the first stroke of Thomas's hand directly on his cock, he had to stifle a moan, and he closed his eyes, his cheeks hot.

"D'you always touch yourself the same?" Jimmy asked.

Thomas swallowed and rubbed his thumb over the head of his cock and dazedly tried to decide how much to admit to. "Sometimes I put my fingers up my arse and pretend it's you."

He heard Jimmy draw in a shaky breath. "M-My f-fingers or my - my -"

"Either," Thomas said. "And you're… slow - even though we want each other so much we take it slow - take our time." With his eyes shut, it was easy to let go of the reality around him, and let whatever pulsed in his mind spill from his lips and heat the air. He both revelled in and refused to believe the fact that he was doing this for Jimmy, real Jimmy, sat right beside him. "Not always, though," he murmured, continuing his previous spoken thought. "Sometimes it's quick, because we can't wait for each other - _hmm_. I think about suckin' you off in a guest bedroom and we have to be fast. M-My mouth around you. _Oh_. Your hand in my hair and just pulling, just a little." With his free left hand, he curled his fingers into his own hair and tugged, gasping at the luxurious ache on his scalp, the stutter of his other hand on his erection.

Jimmy hadn't said a word for a while now, but Thomas could still feel the weight of him on the bed. The bubble of Thomas's fantasies protected him from thinking any further than to wish it was Jimmy's hand in his hair.

The slow creep of an orgasm was building now. He wasn't sure if he was going to come embarrassingly fast, but he was too far gone to care. Thomas's breath hitched; small muscles in his arms twitched.

"But my - my favourite - " he gasped out, wanting to come while speaking of it. "My favourite's havin' you underneath me. My h-hand at the back of your neck. Your breathin' on my cheek." The sway of their bodies moving together, the slide of him into Jimmy. "And I want - I want -" Thomas faltered, his voice falling to a whisper - "When you come, your nails in my back ah - _oh_." With the thought of dark scratches on his skin, Thomas came, bending forwards with the intensity of it. He stroked himself through it, forgetting to breathe, until the thrill of its grip had passed.

At last, he opened his eyes, but kept them downcast. He saw his trousers clustered around his knees and pulled them back up, after wiping his hand on a handkerchief. He tucked himself bashfully back into his underpants, not daring to steal a single glance at Jimmy.

What had he _done_? How could he have let that happen? Head bowed, he waited for Jimmy to tell him that he had misunderstood, that he was disgusting for getting off in front of Jimmy, for wanting all those things.

But there was quickened breathing in his ears, and it wasn't his own.

Thomas's head lifted and turned, almost unconsciously, to look at Jimmy.

Gorgeous Jimmy, whose left hand was wrapped around his own erection.

Thomas's mouth fell open slightly as he stared at the unfeasibly erotic sight of Jimmy pleasuring himself. Jimmy's body was perfect; Thomas had known he would be. But then, he had loved Jimmy so long that his was probably not the most accurate of judgements.

All the same, he could see the muscular thighs he had dreamed of touching, one of which had a mole an inch or two down. Jimmy's beautiful, beautiful hand, the slight tan more obvious next to his lighter-coloured legs.

Then Jimmy spoke. "Now _I'm_ thinkin'," he began, in a hoarse voice, ruined by arousal; "about everythin' you've been sayin', and that's w-why I'm s-so - turned on."

Thomas took a sharp breath. It had never even occurred to him to speculate whether Jimmy was being affected by his descriptions - but it seemed that he had been, even though the look he now darted at Thomas contained a note of nervous embarrassment. There was no way for Thomas to know how much of his feelings he was betraying on his face, but whatever Jimmy saw seemed to reassure him. His head tipped back, his eyes closing now, just as Thomas had done. The movement of his hand increased in speed.

" _I_ liked the last one, too," Jimmy said quietly. "I-I want to feel you um - but I've never -" He broke off and breathed shakily, the fingers of his non-dominant right hand curling against the bedsheets right next to Thomas's leg. "Scratchin' your back…"

Thomas shivered and laid his hand over his own soft cock in his trousers, though he was still far too sensitive to think of getting off again; it would be a while before he was ready for a repeat.

Now Jimmy's free hand moved from the bed to his chest, and he palmed it firmly through the too-many layers of clothes he wore. "On top of me… Y-Your chest - mmm…"

Thomas put his own left hand on his chest, a mirror to Jimmy's motions. The heel of his hand pressed somewhere over his heart.

"Want you to touch me…" Jimmy groaned.

Thomas gaped at how precisely the words echoed his own thoughts, but Jimmy was still lost in fantasy - it hadn't been a serious, immediate request - so Thomas didn't move a single inch closer to him, despite how desperate he was to lean over and wrap his own hand around Jimmy.

A series of whimpery noises accompanied the twist of Jimmy's head towards Thomas's side of the bed, though his eyes remained screwed closed. His face - sweaty, pink, with lips parted as he panted - was so stunning that Thomas was transfixed by it. When Jimmy came, pressing his cheek harder into the pillow, Thomas thought that he had never seen anything more beautiful. Despite his distraction, Jimmy had still had enough presence of mind to spill straight into a handkerchief, keeping his hands clean.

There was a moment of stillness.

Thomas looked up at the ceiling while Jimmy caught his breath. He found himself waiting for the other shoe to drop; now that the incredible experience was over, he could not find it within himself to believe that it would not all go to shit. Strangely, he felt suddenly close to tears. He blinked sore eyes and swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. Maybe Jimmy would accuse him of taking advantage. Maybe Thomas would lose his job. Worse, maybe he would lose Jimmy's friendship.

"Stop lookin' like I'm goin' to turn into a fish or somethin'," Jimmy said from beside him. He sounded surprisingly close to his usual self, though still a compelling note or two deeper than usual.

Thomas watched a spider scuttling over the plaster. He liked spiders; they kept the flies under control.

A warm, dry hand slipped into Thomas's. He started and looked quickly at Jimmy, who was also gazing absently up at the ceiling as though he was not currently stroking Thomas's hand with his thumb.

Heart pounding, Thomas closed his hand around Jimmy's in turn, and turned his eyes to the front again. He wondered what this meant. He wondered if it meant anything at all.

"I'm not good at… _feelin's_ ," Jimmy said lowly.

"Ah," Thomas said vaguely. Was this the start of a conversation about how it had all been very fine but it wouldn't be happening again?

Jimmy squeezed his hand and Thomas turned to see the sincere expression Jimmy was levelling at him. "That - doesn't mean I don't _have_ any," he said, awkwardly, but with great earnestness. "I'm jus' not very good at talkin' about it."

_I love you_ , Thomas thought at once, but that could wait. For the moment, he contented himself with leaning hesitantly closer to share a soft, gentle, lingering peck on the lips with Jimmy, and saying: "It's all fine - wonderful, even."

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to BlueTilo for beta'ing <3

There was a quiet knock at Thomas's bedroom door. He was halfway across the room to open it when it was pushed from the other side and the slim figure of Jimmy slipped through.

Four nights ago, Jimmy had asked all those inappropriate questions and they had got off right next to each other, each by his own hand. Once they had both recovered, the night continued almost as usual, with idle chatting, lazy smoking and smothered sniggers. The only difference had been that, this time, Jimmy had kept hold of Thomas's hand until the last moment before he got up to leave.

Likewise, the days since had continued with scarcely any change from those _before_ , with the exception of a couple of lingering smiles across the dinner table, or over cards. Thomas had been trying to let Jimmy take the lead, but he was beginning to wonder if he should at least _mention_ what had happened. Jimmy might be waiting for _him_ to do something. He might even have decided he did not want to take things any further, but if that was the case then Thomas at least wanted to know. He had been busy dealing with _six_ guests for the last few days, but he had resolved to bring the matter up with Jimmy the following day, on their first shared smoke break before breakfast. It was making him feel jumpy to have shared something like - like _that_ \- only for Jimmy to go on as though nothing was different.

This, however, was something new. Jimmy had never, in all the time Thomas had known him, come into Thomas's room uninvited.

Thomas stopped where he was, several feet away from Jimmy, who had closed the door behind him and now stood looking at Thomas. Thomas gave him a smile that he hoped said: _I'm happy to see you and there's no pressure but you're welcome to do whatever you want_ ; and not: _holy shit please jump me this very second._

Jimmy blinked at him a bit and his mouth twitched in something that wasn't quite a return smile. Thomas was just starting to feel a flicker of apprehension when Jimmy took a couple of steps forward, took hold of the front of Thomas's waistcoat, and slowly leaned in. Instinctively, Thomas recognised his intentions, and met him for a kiss.

Jimmy was excellent at kissing. But, again, Thomas had loved him for so long that perhaps he was biased. Nevertheless, the kiss, slow as it was, made his head spin. Jimmy's tongue brushing against his own was a kind of perfection he had almost given up hoping for. Thomas rested his hands on Jimmy's narrow hips and they kissed lazily for what felt like days.

When at last Thomas's lips began to feel strange, he pulled back. He was smiling before their mouths had even fully parted. Jimmy's lips were kiss-swollen, but curved in a grin. So affected by the sight was he, that Thomas raised a hand to cup Jimmy's cheek, but Jimmy stepped back quickly. He looked very pleased with himself, and had not broken eye-contact with Thomas - apart from the obvious - for the entire time he had been in Thomas's bedroom.

With one quick nod, Jimmy said: "That'll be all then, Mr Barrow."

Briefly, Thomas entertained the thought of shoving Jimmy back against the bedroom door and snogging him, deep and dirty, pushing a hand inside his trousers - but only because it made his stomach feel low and heavy. He would not really go against Jimmy's wishes. Accordingly, he said only: "Goodnight, Jimmy."

"'Night, Thomas." Jimmy paused, gave another single nod, and turned to go back out into the hall.

Once again, there were only subtle changes between them in the days following that goodnight kiss. This time, the concept of keeping a respectable distance between himself and Thomas seemed to be gradually dissolving in Jimmy's mind. He would gently kick Thomas's feet under the servants' hall table, brush past him in corridors that were perfectly wide enough for two, and lean right into him while they read the paper together. Thomas was not even sure if Jimmy was aware of it.

It got so that Thomas found himself having a very odd conversation, after Jimmy nudged him in the side with his elbow as they crossed paths outside the boot room.

"Jimmy… You've got to be _careful_."

Jimmy looked startled. He even cast a confused look at the pair of shoes he was holding, as though wondering if Thomas was accusing him of scuffing them. "What d'you mean?"

"The whole -" Thomas was suddenly struck by the absurdity of the situation. "The whole _personal space_ thing."

Jimmy stared at him for all of two seconds before both of them burst into giggles. "You fuckin' - hypocrite."

"I know, I know," Thomas grinned. "But - you do know what I mean?"

"'Course, yeah. Sorry. But just…" Jimmy glanced up and down the corridor, saw that it was deserted, and urged Thomas inside the boot room with a gesture. Once inside, Jimmy shut the door and put his arms around Thomas's waist. The heel of one of the shoes tapped Thomas in the small of the back. Thomas hugged him in return. Jimmy's cheek was resting on Thomas's shoulder, his head turned away so that Jimmy's hair tickled Thomas's face. Without looking round, Jimmy said: "Erm, Thomas?"

"Yes?"

"Can I er… give you a back massage later?"

Thomas was momentarily nonplussed. "Why do you…" He trailed off when the realisation hit him. It was an opportunity for Jimmy to potentially see Thomas partially naked, to touch him, but without any firm expectation that it would turn into sex. Thomas would probably not even be able to see Jimmy's face, and it would be quite difficult for Thomas to touch Jimmy in return. It was a brilliant idea, and one that Thomas now rather wished he had thought of himself. "I would like that very much," he said, in answer to Jimmy's question.

After letting Thomas go, Jimmy's tone became businesslike. "Good," he said firmly. "We'd best get back to work then. Lots to do."

-

When Jimmy finally entered Thomas's bedroom, Thomas was practically vibrating with anticipation. He had spent the entire day imagining Jimmy's hands on him, wondering whether Jimmy would want him to lie or sit, and whether he would indeed want Thomas to be bare-chested, or keep his clothes on.

Thomas greeted Jimmy with a kiss. He had opted, in the end, to wear his undershirt and pyjama trousers. Jimmy, on the other hand, was still in his full livery, concerning Thomas with the thought that perhaps he was being too forward.

"Carson gave me a lecture about my ruddy hair," Jimmy grumbled, yanking off his jacket the moment they had parted and throwing it in an angry heap on Thomas's desk chair. "Reckons it's too long -  I _know_ it's too bloody long; I'm gettin' it cut next half-day. But I only just escaped."

That seemed to explain why he had come in his livery, especially since he was now also shedding the waistcoat, bow-tie and stiff shirt-front. Watching his sharp movements of temper, Thomas found himself unable to speak.

Down to his white shirt, Jimmy sighed irritably, folded his arms and seemed to look at Thomas properly for the first time. "Oh, good, you're not dressed."

"I've still got my pyjamas on," Thomas pointed out, though Jimmy's unconcerned tone had set him at ease about his choice of attire.

"No, I know, but the way you are sometimes, I thought it'd take God Himself to get you out of that shirt." He came closer and hugged Thomas again, exactly as he had in the boot room earlier. It seemed, if Thomas wasn't being too optimistic, as though it was an urge he had been suppressing for a while, and now that he could finally give in to it, he was taking full advantage of the fact.

"He'd be too polite to ask," Thomas quipped. Jimmy chuckled, and Thomas felt it vibrating right through his chest.

"Well _I_ do not have that problem," Jimmy growled. He pulled away, reaching for the bottom of Thomas's undershirt and giving it a tug. "Get it off, you."

"If you take yours off too," Thomas bargained. He was not quite ready to make an exhibition of himself unless Jimmy was doing it too.

"Deal." Jimmy quickly unbuttoned his white shirt, discarding it on the pile of his other clothes on the chair.

"It'll get creased," Thomas said, eyeing the livery disapprovingly.

"Fusspot," Jimmy accused him, giving him a friendly shove. "Here I am, gettin' half-undressed for ya and you're more bothered about the clothes."

Thomas suppressed a shiver at the _half-undressed_ bit, and shrugged. "Just don't blame me if Carson gives you another tickin'-off." He paused, taking hold of the bottom of his undershirt. "Together, then?"

"Yeah," Jimmy agreed. "Three, two, one -"

They pulled off their undershirts in unison. For a moment, they were both caught up in examining each other. Jimmy looked much the same as he had when Thomas had glimpsed him just after he had arrived: smooth, hairless chest; tanned skin; and an unexpectedly muscular frame. His biceps alone were a work of art. Thomas felt pale and doughy by comparison. He hoped Jimmy wouldn't be disappointed.

Jimmy coughed weakly. "Right. D'you want to lie on the bed?"

"Fine," Thomas agreed, but before that, he wanted to kiss Jimmy again. He could not quite get used to the fact that that was something he could _do_ now. Stepping closer, he lifted his hands to cup Jimmy's cheeks.

"Get off my _face_ ," Jimmy said irritably, ducking away.

Thomas froze, then dropped his hands to his sides. "Um…"

"Sorry," Jimmy said at once. "I just find it annoyin'."

"Sorry," Thomas echoed in an awkward mutter.

"I - I'd still - look, c'mere." He put his hands on Thomas's shoulders and kissed him soundly before letting him go. "Right? Now go lie down?" He still looked apologetic for snapping, but his expression cleared when Thomas smiled at him. Somehow, his hand trailed across Thomas's stomach and waist as Thomas turned to lie on his bed; and then as he stepped forwards, Jimmy tapped his arse.

"Cheeky," Thomas said, glancing over his shoulder to see Jimmy's wide smirk - but privately he was delighted that Jimmy was so comfortable with touching him.

Thomas settled onto the bed, resting his cheek on his forearms and shifting until he was comfortable. Come to think of it, his back _did_ feel a bit tight.

The mattress swayed in response to Jimmy climbing up next to Thomas. He was pressed against the right side of Thomas's torso; by twisting his head further round, Thomas saw that he was sitting on his heels with his knees not far off Thomas's armpit.

Jimmy reached out, a slightly nervous shape to his lips. Thomas looked away so that he wouldn't feel too observed. He waited, feeling very aware of his nakedness as he listened to Jimmy's quiet breathing.

There was a gentle touch on his back, just where the convex curve of his spine became a concave one. Jimmy stroked him there, apparently aimlessly, and Thomas closed his eyes. "Thomas, Thomas, Thomas," Jimmy murmured.

"Mm?" When there was no response, Thomas prompted: "What?"

"Your name suits you," Jimmy said matter-of-factly, his right hand now joining the left one; they rubbed Thomas's shoulder blades. Then his thumbs pressed either side of Thomas's spine, massaging firmly.

"Mmm…" This time, the noise was more of a contented hum. It was like a dream he was having, lying in the place he had had so many of his fantasies, with Jimmy's hands all over him.

"Now that's a good noise," Jimmy murmured, his left hand straying further down Thomas's spine with each long stroke it performed.

Thomas smiled with his eyes closed, his throat feeling tight with happiness. "I can do better than that," he teased.

The weight on the bed shifted, and Jimmy laid a steadying hand on the sheet; then Thomas felt his lips pressing a kiss to the centre of his back. Jimmy almost withdrew, and then the pressure increased again, as though he hadn't been quite ready to stop. Thomas opened his eyes to steal a look at Jimmy's face as Jimmy went on with the massage, to see that Jimmy's eyes were already on his, an expression in them that seemed quite fond.

Jimmy broke eye contact, seeming to watch his own hands instead as they roamed all over Thomas's exposed skin, even running over Thomas's arms at one point. Eventually, one hand crept towards the waistband of Thomas's pyjama trousers. His fingertips traced the edge, side to side across Thomas's lower back. This, added to all the other touching, was enough for Thomas to begin getting aroused.

Looking at Jimmy again to check for nerves, Thomas asked hesitantly: "Should I… take 'em off?"

"Hm, no," Jimmy decided, but casually. He trailed the backs of his fingers up the curves of Thomas's back, then raked his nails down on the return.

Thomas gave an " _Oh_ ," the blood rushing to his cock in earnest now. He could feel his erection pulsing against the bed.

"How d'you feel about bein' tied up durin' sex?" Jimmy asked nonchalantly, his hands still exploring the naked skin underneath them.

Thomas breathed in sharply, inhaled some of his own saliva and choked slightly. "For someone who doesn't like talkin' about feelin's, you've got a knack for droppin' bombshells," he grumbled once he had recovered. He shot Jimmy a mildly accusing look, but Jimmy just smiled serenely back at him.

"I don't mean now," he went on. "Just… in general. D'you like it?" So saying, he scratched the small of Thomas's back almost cruelly.

Thomas groaned at the sensation, thrilled that Jimmy was so eager to take inspiration from his fantasies. "I… I've never done it," he managed to say, dragging his thoughts away from his own lust with difficulty. It was quite a risk, for someone in his position, to put so much power in another's hands. That was the appeal of the act, of course, but still, it was quite a test of trust. "But, one day - I'd like to try it."

Jimmy's breath was coming faster now; Thomas could hear the lovely sound of it in his ears. The hands paused. "Would you turn over?"

Thomas did so, Jimmy standing for a moment to give him more room. The instant Thomas lay back, Jimmy was straddling him, a bracing hand either side of his head, and kissing him firmly, dizzyingly. Taking advantage of the new position, Thomas raised his hand to place it flat on Jimmy's chest, before skating over a nipple, rubbing down the side of his body and curling back in at his hip so that his thumb brushed over Jimmy's crotch. Thomas was relieved to discover that he was not the only one who was hard, and, judging by the way Jimmy pushed into the contact, he was just as aroused as Thomas was.

"Can I touch you?" Thomas asked, breaking their kiss, which was a silly question seeing as he already _had_ touched Jimmy. That was not quite what he had meant, though, and he knew Jimmy caught his meaning by the light in his eyes and the way he breathed:

" _Yes_."

Thomas put his hand over Jimmy's erection, stroking him through the fabric of his trousers with his palm. He watched Jimmy's face above him, open-mouthed and pink, and wondered at how they had got here.

Slipping both hands around to Jimmy's bottom, Thomas pulled him closer, murmuring: "C'mere."

Jimmy followed his direction, and by some instinct adjusted the position of his knees so that their erections lined up.

"That's it… Now move, kind of -" He broke off his attempted explanation when Jimmy moved his hips just right, dragging their cocks against each other. "Yes… Just like… like that."

Jimmy smiled as he thrust again, and Thomas could practically feel the smugness radiating off him as he realised that he was _good_ at this. But there was relief in the smile, too.

He gazed down at Thomas as they ground against each other, panting erratically.

It was wonderful - but the clothing between them hampered things. It wasn't enough for Thomas, so he pushed his hands between their stomachs and unfastened Jimmy's trousers, making Jimmy pause in confusion.

"What -" he began, but then Thomas thrust his hand into Jimmy's underpants and Jimmy's breath left him without another sound.

Thomas shivered at knowing he could steal Jimmy's words with the movement of his hands. He stroked faster, wanting to see that look on Jimmy's face again when he came.

Jimmy moaned quietly and leaned down closer to Thomas, his lips brushing the side of Thomas's face clumsily. Thomas felt his cheeks heat up in response. Then Jimmy murmured into his ear: "Slow down."

Turning his head to catch Jimmy's lips, Thomas kissed him as he did as Jimmy had said, trying to brush over his own erection as his arm moved. This was maybe the most amazing thing he had ever done and he was _desperate_ to come now but he was too nervous to ask Jimmy to touch him. He still wasn't quite sure what was happening between them - he just knew that he wanted to see Jimmy come undone.

With one of those small whimpers from a few days previously, Jimmy broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against Thomas's, moving his hand into Thomas's hair and closing it into a fist. Thomas groaned at the pull on his scalp, all the hairs on the back of his neck standing up and prickling with electricity.

"The _sound_ of…" Jimmy muttered brokenly. His hips shifted, apparently uncontrollably. Trying to follow the movement, Thomas then felt wetness spreading over his hand as Jimmy came in his underpants.

The hand in Thomas's hair gentled, smoothing over the pomade-slickened back of his head. Thomas wanted to push him for more of that desperate fierceness, but Jimmy remained soft as he touched his lips against Thomas's. On the brink of asking - perhaps unwisely - whether Jimmy planned to touch him, Thomas swallowed his words as Jimmy sat up, shuffled back slightly and moved to open Thomas's pyjama trousers. Thomas looked between Jimmy's hands and his face, which looked content, as though - well, as though there was no place he would rather be. Thomas hoped that was more than his imagination.

Jimmy freed Thomas's cock from his clothes and ran a flat hand lazily up the underside, pressing it against Thomas's stomach. Thomas watched Jimmy watching his own hand as his fingers relaxed, the tips skimming Thomas's abdomen at the same time and raising goosebumps where they touched.

"Have you ever thought about this?" Jimmy asked quietly. "Or is it…" he hesitated. "Too tame?"

"I've thought about it," Thomas told him truthfully. He propped himself up on one elbow, caressing Jimmy's still annoyingly trouser-covered knee. He wondered if Jimmy would be comfortable being naked next time. He hoped very much that there would indeed be a next time.

Jimmy leaned in and kissed Thomas's forehead, looping his fingers loosely around Thomas's erection. Even though Jimmy was sitting on Thomas's thighs, moving his hand unhurriedly up and down Thomas's cock, Thomas had a deep urge for him to be _closer_. This seemed not to be picked up by Jimmy, who scraped the fingertips of his free hand lightly against Thomas's side and said: "Lie back."

Thomas did as he was told, even though he would have quite liked to have pressed his mouth against Jimmy's throat. He imagined feeling the vibrations under his lips as Jimmy spoke, or moaned, and had to suppress a moan himself. And all the time, Jimmy's hand moved slowly, tugging him gradually towards an orgasm. He seemed in no rush, and Thomas was torn between begging him to _get a move on_ and letting him keep on with the delectable torture.

"D'you want to come?" Jimmy murmured.

"I…" Thomas's mind was wiped blank by desire. He wanted - he wanted _something_ \- he wanted Jimmy so much.

"Shall I make you wait?" Jimmy continued, letting go of Thomas abruptly.

"Jimmy…" Thomas breathed. His eyes slipped closed, and then opened again. He reached for Jimmy's right hand and held him tight. "Please."

Jimmy obligingly took hold of Thomas's cock again, smiling, and this time he did not stop until Thomas had come over Jimmy's hand and his own stomach, his head tipping back, his hand squeezing Jimmy's. Thomas lay there, breathing deeply, looking up at the ceiling and playing idly with Jimmy's fingers. Jimmy stayed where he was, seemed to be watching Thomas as the rise and fall of his chest evened out. Unable to resist the urge, Thomas met his gaze and for several long, quiet moments, they drank in each other's faces. Thomas could not remember the last time he had felt this content; his mind felt serene and still. Jimmy's palm pressed against his own.

At last, he glanced down at himself a bit shyly, thinking of covering himself up, and remembered the mess on his stomach. In his happiness, the sensation of it cooling there had not even registered in his brain. He made to get up and head for his washstand, but Jimmy stopped him with a hand on his chest and said quickly: "Where are you going?"

"I need to clean up." Thomas propped himself on one elbow again, waiting for Jimmy to get off his legs.

"Oh no, you're not," Jimmy said, pushing him back down. "Stay there and I'll do it. I just got you all relaxed; you're not ruining it."

Thomas watched Jimmy curiously as he stood up and headed for the washstand, waiting until Jimmy had soaked a cloth in the water before saying: "You were trying to relax me?"

When Jimmy turned, it was to reveal pink cheeks. He did not meet Thomas's eyes as he approached the bed again. "You've… had a lot to do," he mumbled, perching on the edge of the bed and starting to wipe Thomas's stomach. "Seemed like you were stressed."

Instantly and wholeheartedly, Thomas believed what Jimmy had said that first night they had touched themselves together - that he may not be able to talk about them, but he did have feelings. Feelings… for Thomas. Thomas's chest felt tight.

Once Thomas was clean, Jimmy ran his fingertips lightly over his belly, feeling the goosebumps that the evaporating water had caused. He did not look up to see the way Thomas was staring at him, as though he was the most incredible thing Thomas had ever seen.

"Come and kiss me," Thomas murmured, slipping his hand up Jimmy's forearm and urging him down. They kissed, leisurely and shallowly, until Thomas was smiling too widely to think about anything else. He opened his eyes as Jimmy sat up again, catching Jimmy's returning grin.

"You should get to sleep," Jimmy said, standing. He kissed Thomas on the forehead and then on the lips again. "Goodnight, Thomas." He turned on Thomas's bedside lamp before he moved away.

For a fleeting moment, Thomas wanted to catch his hand, pull him down again and ask him to stay until morning. He decided against it. Rolling onto his side to watch Jimmy crossing the room, Thomas rested his head in his hand and said: "'Night, love."

Jimmy flicked off the main light and paused by the door, softly illuminated by the yellow lamplight that remained. He gave Thomas a thoughtful look.

"What?" Thomas asked, a little apprehensively.

"I like it," Jimmy said. "You ah… callin' me love. I didn't think I would."

Thomas eyes felt rather damp. He filled his voice with quiet tenderness as he said: "Goodnight, my love."

Jimmy smiled shyly at his own shoes, darted one last glance at Thomas, and slipped silently from the room.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to bluetilo, friend and beta <3

Thomas spent the next three days tugging Jimmy into various dark corners and undisturbed rooms to kiss him. Meanwhile, Jimmy spent the next three days appearing at unexpected moments to press his mouth against Thomas's. On the whole, it was a hugely enjoyable few days.

On the evening after most of the guests had gone home, Thomas asked Jimmy into his bedroom again. One of the ladies had left behind most of a box of chocolates, and Thomas had declined to let Mr Carson know. Instead, he planned to share the box with Jimmy; and so he did, when Jimmy arrived carrying two cups of tea and with the newspaper under one arm. Jimmy almost spilt the tea all over the sheets when he leaned in to kiss Thomas, but Thomas managed to rescue them and put his own cup on his bedside table.

Jimmy sat close to Thomas, leaning his shoulder slightly against Thomas's. They sipped and munched for a while, discussing which of the chocolates they liked best and having a friendly argument over the final strawberry cream.

"Can I suck you off?" Jimmy asked out of nowhere. There was chocolate all around his mouth.

Thomas's stomach flipped, but as flatly as he could he drawled: "No, I don't think that's a good idea at _all_."

Jimmy flicked him on the nose. "You want to be careful, or I might take you seriously."

"Hm," Thomas smiled, too amused to be annoyed about the slight sting on his nose, though he rubbed the small hurt for a moment. "Do I have to beg you to make up for it?"

"Well - no, I don't think -"

But Thomas was keen to see Jimmy's reaction to the pretty words he could say; he half-turned to lean closer to Jimmy, whispering right into his ear: "Please, Jimmy, _please_."

"Oh," Jimmy said blankly. "Maybe a - a bit of…"

"I want you so badly," Thomas said hoarsely against his cheek, revelling in Jimmy's incoherence. " _Please_ , Jimmy, I need you so _much_."

"Ah, fuck," Jimmy muttered unconcernedly, as though he had lost a game, and he took Thomas's chin and pulled him into a kiss.

The taste of chocolate filled Thomas's mouth again, warm and sweet. He reached up to cup Jimmy's cheek. Without breaking the kiss, Jimmy relocated Thomas's hand a little lower and Thomas caressed his neck instead.

 _Sorry,_ Thomas thought, but he did not say it, because that would have meant leaving Jimmy's lips. Jimmy pressed against him more firmly and started on Thomas's shirt buttons. He made short work of them - despite the fact that Thomas could feel his hands shaking - and pulled away from the kiss only to push the shirt off Thomas's shoulders. He followed this by pulling Thomas's undershirt off him too and placing one still-trembling hand on Thomas's chest, almost reverently. The look on his face made Thomas feel shy.

"You too," Thomas murmured as he moved his hands to the front of Jimmy's shirt.

"Why? You're the one who's… y'know… first."

"'Cause I _love_ you, o' course," Thomas said, pausing halfway through Jimmy's shirt buttons to look at him seriously. Although he knew Jimmy knew this, saying it aloud still made his stomach jump with adrenaline.

"Shuddup," Jimmy said, turning red. "Don't be soppy when I…"

It seemed that Jimmy was not just averse to talking about feelings, but to hearing about them too. Well, he would have to get over that if they were to last: Thomas was well aware that, under favourable circumstances, he was one of the soppiest bastards in Yorkshire, and he wasn't about to change any time soon.

Thomas returned to unfastening Jimmy's shirt, pulling off both it and the undershirt below. As soon as he had, Jimmy began kissing him again, and his hands roamed over Thomas's bare chest and stomach. Eventually, they strayed between Thomas's legs. Jimmy teased Thomas with his fingertips until Thomas was fully hard before undoing the buttons of his trousers. He sat and waited as Thomas wriggled out of them and his underpants, before moving to sit between Thomas's parted legs once Thomas was naked and lying back. But he made no further move. He seemed frozen, staring with alarm at Thomas's cock until Thomas felt embarrassed.

"Are you sure you want -"

" _Yes_ ," Jimmy interrupted. "I just… I don't… I don't really know what to…"

Thomas ran his fingers soothingly through Jimmy's hair. "Start with what you like," he suggested. "Then you can proceed based on… on your partner's reactions."

"On _your_ reactions, you mean," Jimmy corrected him grumpily. "I'm not bloody doin' this for anyone else." He chewed his lip nervously.

It took a great effort of will for Thomas to be patient.

"Thing is," Jimmy said, without looking at him. "I've never actually… had someone… y'know, do it to me."

All became clear. Thomas felt foolish for not realising it. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have assumed…" He took in the anxiety on Jimmy's face. "How about I do it for you first, then you'll have a bit more idea what to do, if you still want to."

Jimmy looked slightly happier at this suggestion, though he protested: "But I got to come first last time too."

Thomas smiled at Jimmy and pulled him in for a quick kiss, pleasantly surprised to find Jimmy attempting to be courteous. "It's not exactly a hardship, goin' second. Means I get to watch you bein' very, very sexy, first."

His words made Jimmy's cheeks go red again, and Thomas's smile became a grin.

"Alright," Jimmy said quickly. "We can… Let's do that."

They swapped places and Thomas began by kissing Jimmy's neck softly, his erection sometimes brushing against Jimmy's still-clothed cock. It was difficult not to grind against him, but Thomas distracted himself with Jimmy's collarbones, and the notch in the centre, and the firmness of his ribs under the skin and muscle. He lavished attention on Jimmy with his mouth. By the time he licked the bottom of Jimmy's pectorals, Jimmy was squirming underneath him, his hips tilting, seeking the pressure of Thomas's body.

"D'you like that?" Thomas murmured.

Jimmy's answer was a groan, rather too loud.

"Shh," Thomas reminded him, kissing his stomach.

Jimmy put both hands over his mouth and his eyes flickered open and closed, open and closed, while Thomas unfastened his trousers. Thomas's heart was thumping in his throat; this felt new, helping Jimmy to be completely naked in front of him for the first time. It seemed almost a profound moment when he and Jimmy dragged Jimmy's trousers and underwear off his hips together. Onwards Thomas went, tugging the waistbands right down Jimmy's legs, pausing to kiss his knees, and pulling Jimmy's clothes and socks off over his feet. They lay discarded on the floor while Thomas returned to press his lips to the inside of Jimmy's knees this time, then a little higher. Then Thomas kissed the tip of Jimmy's cock and Jimmy gasped and flinched and grasped for Thomas's shoulder all at the same time.

Pausing only to smirk at Jimmy, Thomas leaned down and let his tongue poke out to lick the place he had just kissed.

"Just remember to warn me when you're about to come, alright?" Thomas said, hanging over the side of the bed to root through his trouser pocket for a handkerchief.

"Right - fine - _Thomas_ -"

"Someone's impatient," Thomas teased as he sat up again, but it pleased him, and he teased no more, taking Jimmy into his mouth.

"Ohhh, Thomas," Jimmy sighed. It was glorious to hear Jimmy saying his name like that, as though it was something special.

Thomas loved sucking men off, loved the fullness of his mouth and the stifled noises of his partner, loved watching stomach muscles tense with pleasure and hands gripping at bedclothes. And today, doing this for the man he had adored for so long, was even better.

Equally compelling were the thoughts of either catapulting Jimmy into coming, or holding him on the edge for as long as Thomas could. In the end, he was too caught up in the joy of Jimmy's reactions to remember to drag things out. Thomas was absurdly proud of every gasp and moan he earned, and each vocalisation turned him on all the more.

"Thomas - I'm - I'm gonna come -" Jimmy said brokenly.

Thomas switched his mouth around Jimmy for his hands. He stroked Jimmy through it, the handkerchief catching Jimmy's come, until Jimmy pushed slightly at Thomas's shoulder to indicate that he had finished. Then Thomas crawled back up to the top of the bed and squeezed in on his side next to Jimmy. Jimmy also turned onto his side, and nuzzled briefly against Thomas's bare chest, their naked bodies touching lightly all down their lengths.

Just as the first time, it took just long enough for Jimmy to gather himself that Thomas began to wonder if he was going to reciprocate. It was not that he felt Jimmy was _obligated_ to do so - the wondering came without judgement.

However, just as the first time again, Jimmy sat up and shuffled down the bed. Thomas turned onto his back and Jimmy sat between his parted knees again, looking far more relaxed this time around. Jimmy caressed Thomas's thigh, a strange look of wonder in his face as he looked at the pale skin. "Oh, Thomas…"

Thomas said nothing.

Suddenly Jimmy's gaze was on Thomas's face again, a small, nervous smile lifting the corners of his lips. "I love you," he said timidly, and then, before Thomas had recovered enough to react, he bent his head, and set about proving it.

 


End file.
